CLIA North West & Canada Cruise News – May

VANCOUVER WELCOMES 25 MILLIONTH CRUISE PASSENGER

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority hosted a celebration to welcome the 25 millionth cruise passenger through the Port of Vancouver on Wednesday May 23.

The event featured the presentation of a special gift to the lucky passenger to commemorate the milestone occasion, and included remarks by the port authority, Tourism Vancouver, and Holland America Line.

Vancouver attracts a wide range of cruise lines and passengers from around the world. This year, 32 different vessels from 14 cruise lines on 241 calls will be visiting Canada Place cruise terminal, ranging from luxury expedition style ships to some of the largest vessels in the Alaska cruise market.

According to the Port, the cruise industry stimulates nearly three million dollars to the local Vancouver economy for each cruise ship that visits Canada Place and $1.6 billion in total economic impact the season. From cruiseindustrynews.com, May 19,2018

WINDSTAR IS BACK IN ALASKA AFTER 20-YEAR GAP

Windstar Cruises’ 212-passenger, all-suite Star Legend is now sailing in Alaska through August, launching the small ship line’s first endeavor into expedition cruising.

This kicked off in Kenai Fjords National Park on May 18, as part of Windstar’s first Alaska program in two decades.

‘We are thrilled to finally be back in Alaska having just launched our Signature Expeditions that embrace the natural beauty of the region, and allow for the most authentic, destination-focused experiences for our guests,’ Windstar president John Delaney said.

It might be hard to believe it’s only been about 20 years since cruise ships started to call Seattle home, but these days the Port of Seattle is gearing up to welcome more than a million passengers. That’s half the size of King County, and that number is only going up from here.

“Exciting times,” said Michal McLaughlin with the Port of Seattle. “The next 5-10 years it’s going to be a great period for the cruise industry in Seattle and the Northwest.

New to Seattle this year is Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss — the largest ship to ever homeport on the West Coast. “We’re putting our ship that’s custom built for this itinerary — because we see it as an opportunity to create future cruisers and future passengers for the cruise industry,” said Sandra Weir, VP Destination Development and Government Relations, Norwegian Cruise Line.

To read more visit komonews.comor watch the news clip above, May 22,2018

CLIA UPDATES OFFICIAL 2017 GLOBAL PASSENGER NUMBERS

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has updated the official global cruise industry numbers confirming 2017 ocean cruise passenger growth and another positive year for the cruise industry. The industry has surpassed the 2017 ocean cruise passenger projections, reaching 26.7 million cruise passengers globally up from a projection of 25.8 million. For 2018, based on the new vessel launch schedule and expected regional deployment, CLIA is projecting another positive year-over-year growth for the industry with a passenger forecast of 28 million.

“Once again, the cruise industry has raised the bar and exceeded projections and expectations,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA. “I am proud to be a part of this dynamic industry that continues to grow and evolve bringing the cruise vacation experience to millions each year.”

NORWEGIAN BLISS ‘MAJOR MILESTONE’ FOR PORT OF SEATTLE

On its journey to summer home port Seattle, Norwegian Bliss has been breaking records every step of the way as the largest cruise ship to transit the Panama Canal and to visit the US West Coast. At Pier 66 Bliss turned heads, stopped joggers and bikers in their tracks and was being photographed like crazy.

The 168,000gt vessel’s arrival Wednesday May 30 morning marked a ‘major milestone,’ according to the Port of Seattle. Over the past 18 years the port has transformed to achieve the largest and fastest growing cruise business on the West Coast, while earning a reputation for progressive environmental protections. To read more visit seatrade-cruise.com, May 30,2018

Port Welcomes Norwegian Bliss at Bell Street Cruise Terminal

The Port of Seattle will welcome Norwegian Bliss, the newest ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, the early morning of Wednesday, May 30. At over 168,000 gross tons and a capacity of 4,004, double occupancy, Norwegian Bliss is the largest cruise vessel on the west coast and was built especially for the Alaska cruise market. To read the full press release visit portofseattle.org, May 29 2018

CRUISE THE SAINT LAWRENCE : PROMISING SEASON AHEAD

With the 2018 international cruise season having only just begun, all signs once again point to an excellent year. Canada New England, the Québec/Saint Lawrence region, continue to gain in popularity from one year to the next. Indeed, in the period from May to November 2018, ship visits to ports of call in Québec are expected to total over 475 in number.

This figure, which has increased steadily over the past ten years, provides proof positive that our destination has earned a place on cruise line itineraries of choice. Again this year, some ten ships will make inaugural visits to one of our ports of call, thereby substantiating the potential for ongoing transformation and growth across Destination Saint Lawrence. To read more visit cruisesaintlawrence.com, May 23,2018

MONTREAL CRUISE SEASON BEGINS :

130,000 PASSENGERS & CREW EXPECTED

This year, 27 ships representing 19 cruise lines will make a total of 90 calls in the Port of Montréal. More than 130,000 passengers and crew members are expected to visit the city, representing a 12% increase over the last season.

Montréal is increasingly standing out as a starting or ending point for cruises. In fact, four different companies are offering Montréal-to-Montréal itineraries via Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon or the Great Lakes. The city will also be the departure port for 20 cruises headed to Boston, 16 cruises to New York, 16 cruises to the Magdalen Islands and 6 cruises to Florida, as well as cruises to the Great Lakes, Europe (United Kingdom and Germany) and Cuba.

“For several years, we have been actively working to develop the cruise sector, which is growing dramatically around the world. Quebeckers will increasingly find it easier to book cruises leaving from Montréal and enjoy the city’s various attractions, including its fine food establishments and hotels for every taste,” said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

PRINCESS CRUISE KICKS OFF 2018 ALASKA CRUISE SEASON

Princess Cruises has marked the official start of its blockbuster 2018 Alaska cruise season.

The company is offering 130 departures from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, B.C. and Whittier. “This year, our guests will be delighted by the newly designed guest experiences highlighting the history of Alaska and its people that adds a unique layer to an already unbelievable cruise vacation,” said Lisa Syme, Princess Cruises vice president.

In addition to new programming on land, Princess is debuting a new dining venue at the line’s Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, Rod & Reel. The restaurant renovation is the latest enhancement to the lodge located on the Kenai Peninsula, and will offer new menu items for both lunch and dinner.

QUEBEC’S CRUISE SEASON SET FOR MAY START

The five largest cruise companies are projected to see dramatic capacity growth over the next 10 years, ranging from 114 percent for MSC Cruises to 36 percent for Royal Caribbean Cruises, according to the 2018-2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

The projections are based on new ships to be introduced and known ship withdrawals and deployment changes.Carnival Corporation is expected to grow its annual passenger capacity from approximately 11.1 million to 15.8 million passengers, for a 42 percent increase, and the largest industry-wide hike in terms of actual passengers, 4.7 million more passengers over 10 years.

MSC will see the second largest estimated increase in terms of actual passenger capacity, going from 2.1 million to 4.6 million, an increase of 2.5 million passengers, or 114 percent.

2018 – A BUSY SEASON FOR BAIE-COMEAU

For a fifth year in a row, cruise season started with the arrival of the Pearl Mist at the Port of Baie-Comeau on May 27. The Baie-Comeau is preparing for a record year with the arrival of 11 giants of the seas, including the prestigious Disney Magic, for a total of 21 calls representing 18,875 passengers and crew.

“The small Baie-Comeau Cruises team, led by executive director Renée Dumas, has chalked up an incredible achievement with a visit of the Disney Magic. The team continues to grow as it works tirelessly to overcome the obstacles in its path. Team members spread their passion and promote their vision through our community, taking the time to work closely with our local merchants and partners while spreading their “joie de vivre” around the world. Baie-Comeau is clearly benefiting from the arrival of international cruises and we will continue to grow,” said Baie-Comeau mayor Yves Montigny.

For the first time, Baie-Comeau will welcome the CTMA Vacancier from CTMA Cruises on September 19, Cruise and Maritime Voyages’ Marco Polo on September 23, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic on September 25 and 30, Silversea’s Silver Wind on October 7,12 and November 2 and Silver Spirit on October 9 and 29.

NEW PRESIDENT FOR THE NAUTICAL INSTITUTE

The newly elected President of The Nautical Institute, Captain Nick Nash has pledged to help in its efforts to improve standards of ship handling and bridge resource management.

Nash is Senior Master for Carnival Corporation’s 144,000 GRT, 3650 passenger vessel the Royal Princess. He also teaches at the group’s simulator training facility in Amsterdam, where he is a part-time lecturer on bridge resource management and ship handling.

NOAA PREDICTS A NEAR OR ABOVE NORMAL 2018 HURRICANE SEASON IN CENTRAL PACIFIC

NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center announced there is an 80-percent chance of near- or above-normal tropical cyclone activity during the central Pacific hurricane season this year.

The 2018 outlook indicates equal chances of an above-normal and near-normal season at 40 percent each, and a 20-percent chance of a below-normal season.

For the season, three to six tropical cyclones are predicted for the central Pacific hurricane basin. This number includes tropical depressions, named storms and hurricanes. A near-normal season has three to five tropical cyclones, and an above-normal season has six or more tropical cyclones.

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